SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance,Identity Fundamentals Study Guide

The fundamental-level certification on Azure for security, identity, and compliance management is making news. The Exam Study Guide Updated on Jan 28th 2022

Special About SC 900 Certification

Cloud security is quite significant for safeguarding all the computing environments, data, and applications hosted on cloud platforms. Cloud identity and Compliance are also important requirements for cloud security. Cloud identity management helps in verifying the authenticity of users, and Compliance ensures that a cloud application follows all the internal and external applicable rules.

Microsoft Azure is a leading cloud platform, and many professionals are interested in pursuing Azure certifications for security, Compliance, and identity. The SC-900 certification gives the perfect opportunity for such candidates, thereby increasing their interest in an SC-900 exam preparation guide.

SC 900 Introduction

SC-900 is an entry-level certification. The target audience includes business stakeholders, new or existing IT professionals, or students having an interest in Microsoft’s

• Security solutions
• Compliance solutions
• Identity solutions

As per Microsoft, to achieve this certification – “Candidates should be familiar with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 and understand how Microsoft security, compliance, and identity solutions can span across these solution areas to provide a holistic and end-to-end solution.”

Purpose of the Certification

The size of the worldwide cloud security market is expected to reach around $68.5 billion by the year 2025. At the same time, the industry also faces the threat of more sophisticated cyber attacks alongside pressing concerns for maintaining Compliance with new regulations.

Now, Microsoft Azure also takes a stand on security, identity, and Compliance because it is the second-largest public cloud service provider. The Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity fundamentals or SC-900 certification provide a basic platform to start exploring the security ecosystem factors in detail. The fundamental-level Azure security, compliance, and identity certification can give opportunities to pursue the roles of Azure Security Engineer.

Know About the Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals Certification

The foremost information that you should learn about Azure Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals certification is the SC-900 certification exam – It is the sole exam in the certification path for Azure Security, Compliance, and Identity fundamentals.

The SC-900 refers to the code for the ‘Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Fundamentals’ exam.  SC-900 certification is tailored for business professionals, students, and cloud professionals, it is important to observe the eligibility criteria for the exams.

By qualifying for the one exam, you can earn the Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals certification.

Prerequisites for Microsoft Azure SC-900 Certification

Microsoft has not set any mandatory prerequisites for the SC-900 certification. Any candidate looking for an SC-900 study guide would look for the prerequisites recommended for the exam. It is reasonable to know your level of preparedness for a particular certification before starting your preparation journey.

Here is an outline of the specific areas of knowledge and experience required for SC-900 certification:

● Knowledge of Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 platforms

● Detailed understanding of the breadth of security, Compliance, and identity in these platforms

● Capabilities for leveraging their knowledge of security, Compliance, and identity to develop holistic and end-to-end solutions

Basic Details About the SC-900

The SC-900 certification exam would include around 40-60 questions. Therefore, candidates need to put in the extra effort for solving questions faster with accuracy.(For me its 51 Questions with that varies from multiple choices , Yes or No type of questions. The format of questions on Microsoft Azure certification exams keeps changing with innovative testing technologies and new question types.

The minimum score for qualifying for the SC-900 Certification exam is 700.

Topics Covered in the Azure SC-900 Certification

The SC-900 exam includes four different skill domains, with each focusing on different concepts in Azure security, Compliance, and identity. Each domain has a different weightage with a different set of subtopics.

Domain 1 : Describe the Concepts of Security, Compliance, and Identity (5-10%)

 Describe security and compliance concepts & methodologies

• describe the Zero-Trust methodology
• describe the shared responsibility model
• define defense in depth
• describe common threats
• describe encryption and hashing
• describe cloud adoption framework

Define identity concepts

• define identity as the primary security perimeter
• define authentication
• define authorization
• describe what identity providers are
• describe what Active Directory is
• describe the concept of Federated services
• define common Identity Attacks

Domain 2 : Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Identity and Access Management Solutions (25-30%)

Describe the basic identity services and identity types of Azure AD

• describe what Azure Active Directory is
• describe Azure AD identity types (users, devices, groups, service principals/applications)
• describe what hybrid identity is
• describe the different external identity types (Guest Users)
• Describe the authentication capabilities of Azure AD
• describe the different authentication methods
• describe self-service password reset
• describe password protection and management capabilities
• describe Multi-factor Authentication
• describe Windows Hello for Business

Describe access management capabilities of Azure AD

• describe what conditional access is
• describe uses and benefits of conditional access
• describe the benefits of Azure AD roles
• Describe the identity protection & governance capabilities of Azure AD
• describe what identity governance is
• describe what entitlement management and access reviews is
• describe the capabilities of PIM
• describe Azure AD Identity Protection

Domain 3 Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Security Solutions (30-35%)

Describe basic security capabilities in Azure

• describe Azure Network Security groups
• describe Azure DDoS protection
• describe what Azure Firewall is
• describe what Azure Bastion is
• describe what Web Application Firewall is
• describe ways Azure encrypts data
• Describe security management capabilities of Azure
• describe Cloud security posture management (CSPM)
• describe Microsoft Defender for Cloud
• describe secure score in Microsoft Defender Cloud
• describe enhanced security of Microsoft Defender for Cloud
• describe security baselines for Azure

Describe security capabilities of Microsoft Sentinel

• define the concepts of SIEM, SOAR, XDR
• describe how of Microsoft Sentinel provides integrated threat protection
• Describe threat protection with Microsoft 365 Defender
• describe Microsoft 365 Defender services
• describe Microsoft Defender for Identity (formerly Azure ATP)
• describe Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (formerly Office 365 ATP)
• describe Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (formerly Microsoft Defender ATP)
• describe Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Describe security management capabilities of Microsoft 365

• describe the Microsoft 365 Defender portal
• describe how to use Microsoft Secure Score
• describe security reports and dashboards
• describe incidents and incident management capabilities
• Describe endpoint security with Microsoft Intune
• describe what Intune is
• describe endpoint security with Intune
• describe the endpoint security with the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center

Domain 4 Describe the Capabilities of Microsoft Compliance Solutions (25-30%)

Describe the compliance management capabilities in Microsoft

• describe the offerings of the Service Trust portal
• describe Microsoft’s privacy principles
• describe the compliance center
• describe compliance manager
• describe use and benefits of compliance score

Describe information protection and governance capabilities of Microsoft 365

• describe data classification capabilities
• describe the value of content and activity explorer
• describe sensitivity labels
• describe Retention Polices and Retention Labels
• describe Records Management
• describe Data Loss Prevention

Describe insider risk capabilities in Microsoft 365

• describe Insider risk management solution
• describe communication compliance
• describe information barriers
• describe privileged access management
• describe customer lockbox

Describe the eDiscovery and audit capabilities of Microsoft 365

• describe the purpose of eDiscovery
• describe the capabilities of the content search tool
• describe the core eDiscovery workflow
• describe the advanced eDiscovery workflow
• describe the core audit capabilities of M365
• describe purpose and value of Advanced Auditing

Describe resource governance capabilities in Azure

• describe the use of Azure Resource locks
• describe what Azure Blueprints is
• define Azure Policy and describe its use cases

Candidates could not just start reading every book. They get to cover all topics in the SC-900 exam skills outline. You can get started with your preparations for the SC-900 exam without any difficulties by following the tips mentioned below:

Familiarize with the Exam

Candidates should understand all the topics covered in the exam skills outline for the SC-900 exam. As a result, they could identify suitable learning materials for each topic. This can save them a lot of effort in finding out the relevant resources for supporting their preparations.

Use Microsoft Learning

With a clear idea of all the details about the exam, you can look for moving to the next stage of the SC-900 preparation guide.You need credible learning resources for building a clear foundation for success in qualifying for the exam. Microsoft Learning gives official resources that can help in preparing for SC-900 with reflection on different aspects of Azure security, Compliance, and identity.

The official recommended learning paths for the SC-900 exam on the official certification page give a prolific advantage to all learners. The learning paths are divided into different parts for helping you in flexible learning.

Learning paths recommended for the SC-900 exam can improve your command over the fundamentals of Azure security, Compliance, and identity. With the help of Microsoft learning paths, candidates could discover the perfect start to their SC-900 preparations.

Go for Official Documentation Only

If you thought Microsoft only has learning paths, you need to think twice. The official Microsoft documentation about security, Compliance, and identity gives the ideal tools for navigating the massive body of knowledge pertaining to the concepts.

The official documentation allows candidates to explore the technical content relevant to their SC-900 study guide. The official Microsoft documentation also allows the flexibility of selecting resources according to roles, topics, products, job roles, and experience level.

Training Courses are Helpful

Candidates preparing for Microsoft Azure SC-900 certification could also get the benefit of competitive advantage in their preparations through training courses. There are various professional certification training providers with a wide array of online courses. It is also essential to look for interactive exercises and engaging demo videos with the training courses to ensure a better quality of learning. Most important of all, choose a training course which allows you some room to breathe. It can be difficult to concentrate on your preparation when you must complete the course within a specific time.

Practice Tests Can Test You – Important!

It is true that practice is the key factor of success in professional certification exams. So, you need to make the most of practice tests for the SC-900 exam for evaluating your preparations. Practice tests feature similar formats to the actual exam and encourage the confidence of candidates. Regular practice with practice tests for the SC-900 exam can help candidates familiarize themselves with the exam format. They can also showcase how the candidates perform in different domains of the exam. Therefore, practice tests are always necessary to add the finishing touch to your preparations.

Official Course :  Microsoft Study Guide

Udemy Course  :  SC-900 Course

Practise Test      : SC-900 Practise Test – A Tough One to Attempt

Final Thoughts

Candidates who are aspiring for the SC-900 certification must understand its long-term implications for their career in Azure. The certification opens the gate to various career opportunities in cloud security, and one could pursue lucrative career opportunities by investing their dedication in preparing for the SC-900 exam. Follow the best practices recommended by experts after reviewing the exam details carefully. A detailed understanding of the weightage and subtopics is important when preparing for the SC-900 exam, as it can help in determining the areas where you must focus more on your preparations. It is highly important to maintain accountability to your preparation schedule for a winning chance. So, start your preparation now to become a Microsoft Certified Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals!